Raising the Bar: Standards-Based Training, Supervision, And Evaluation. (Broke and Broken: Can We Fix Our State Indigent Defense System?‪)‬

I. CHANGES IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION THAT MAKE STANDARDS ESSENTIAL I enrolled in the Criminal Defense Clinic during my third year at NYU Law School and immediately enjoyed criminal court practice. Motivated by the responsibility of client representation, I thrived in the fast pace and unpredictability of the courtroom. Even then, though, I contemplated how I might have structured the seminar differently had I been in charge of the clinic. I wondered how to better prepare students for their first interviews and court appearances. I thought about the benefits and detriments of supervision. Was it necessary or beneficial for me to feel quite so lost and overwhelmed? Should I really have been permitted to wander about town unsupervised, with a client accused of a string of scissor point robberies as we searched for Alternative to Incarceration programs? Were there guidelines or checklists designed to help me decide what steps ought to be undertaken for clients and when?